Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram: 50% women, government school students found anaemic in Palwal

Tribune News Service

Palwal, March 18

A majority of the students of government schools and children at anganwadi centres, aged between six months and 19 years, have been found anaemic in Palwal. As per reports, almost half of the women here, aged between 20 and 49 years, are also suffering from the condition.

It was revealed during a drive carried out under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), which is an initiative of the Union Government to screen the school children for various diseases and disorders. An average of 55 to 60 per cent of the government school students were found anaemic in the drive conducted by the RBSK cell of the district Health Department between March 10 and 17.

Of total 23,636 persons screened, 13,848 were anganwadi and government schools students. According to sources, around 58 per cent of the students have been found anaemic of various degrees. According to sources, 70 per cent of the girl students and 45 percent of the boy students were short of the required haemoglobin (HB) level.

The department has recommended medicines and advised them to follow a proper and healthy diet to improve the iron levels in the body,

said an official.

The week-long campaign also found that half of 9,788 women, aged between 20 and 49 years, were anaemic to a certain degree. As many as 45 per cent of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers were suffering from this condition.

A department official said the condition could be categorised into three categories. The HB level between 10 and 11 is counted as mild anaemia, while it becomes moderate between 8 and 9. The HB level of 7 or less comes under severe anaemia. Severe type patients are being recommended for immediate medical treatment.

“The department has also been distributing iron and folic acid tablets to the school students every Wednesday for over a year,” said Dr Rameshwari, Deputy Civil Surgeon and Incharge of the RBSK campaign in the

district.

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